It’s an old Eastern European custom. I’m not sure if it’s still practiced in Slavic countries today, but it’s something we did when I was young. On the day after Easter, Bright Monday, men and boys would splash, sprinkle, or squirt water on unsuspecting women while announcing, “Christ is risen!” … Read More »Fifty Days: To Life!
Who am I? What makes me the person that I am? I have to be honest: I’m not really sure. I have lots of roles. I’m a professor, a mentor, a friend, a lover, a cook, a laundress, a lawn boy, a spiritual director, , an agitator, a letter writer…..and… Read More »On Being Human
As I scroll through the postings made by friends on Facebook, I see familiar kinds of postings — status updates, as they are called. One may comment about a parent’s death, another on the passing of a cousin, another on the anniversary of a loved one’s home-going. While people often… Read More »The Tapestry of Life and Death
Some couples followed desire system to have a perfect date-night: a night to go out and have fun, like when they were dating. I wouldn’t consider our Friday dinners out a “date-night.” Each Friday, we go out to dinner and unwind a bit from the week. By Friday evening, we’re… Read More »Friday Night Dinner
As I write, it’s one day after another major gun spree in the United States. This time, it was in the Navy Yard in Washington, DC. Twelve people were massacred. The shooter is also dead. As I reviewed the newsfeed on Facebook today, I found that many of my friends… Read More »Gun Violence and the Price We Pay
It’s early morning. I sit at my computer with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. From the vantage point of my study, I see flowers in bloom, watch the leaves on the tree as they rustle in the breeze, hear the chirps of young birds, and spy an occasional visit… Read More »Dance with Me?
I’ve heard the story a number of times in the past. I don’t know if it’s legend or if this place actually exists. No matter the accuracy of the story, it strikes me that that the account coveys a timeless truth. As the story goes, a group of pilgrims visited… Read More »Death, Life, and Spirituality
It’s easy for me to associate Easter with new life. Living in the northern hemisphere, my experience of Easter is associated with the budding of trees and blooming of flowers. Having grown up in Western Pennsylvania, there were some years when Easter mornings came blanketed with snow. But even then,… Read More »Easter and New Life